Recommend An Album
 

We've got threads about songs but due to some ****ed up situation with my computer's speaker/headphone jack, I rarely listen to individual songs anymore. It's all about the albums.

So I figured it'd be a nice idea to have a thread where people can recommend albums they're currently spinning a lot, preferably with a little explanation as to why, and maybe some songs that people could look up to give them an idea of the albums. Here's my suggestions:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NldQwDmK_v...ed%2BGlory.jpg
Synopsis: Neil Young's 1990 reunion with Crazy Horse is not his best album by any means but certainly up there. Basically a selection of great folk songs (all original of course, except Farmer John, a live cover of some old garage rock song) played by Crazy Horse in their classic heavy country rock style, with lots of long guitar solos and great lyrics. Totally raw, no production so to speak. My kind of album really.
Songs To Look Up: F*!#in' Up, Love To Burn, Mansion On The Hill

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The Band - Music From Big Pink
Synopsis: This is one of the best roots rock albums you'll find out there, and The Band are far more than just Bob Dylan's backing band. They were a group of brilliant instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters who all played an integral part in the music. Their drummer was the main singe for chrissakes! A totally essential album and if you haven't heard it you're really missing out.
Songs To Look Up: The Weight, This Wheel's On Fire, Chest Fever

So yeah, get those albums and I'll get yours. WHAT YOU GOT FOR ME

For you personally, as a fan of Neil Young, the Band and Psychedelia I'm recommending Farmhouse by Phish. You probably wouldn't stumble on it by accident, but you'll really like the atmosphere. It's well, Farmhouse-y.

It has a brace of simple, affecting Americana tunes, a couple of grooves, a couple of flights of fancy. One or two really delicate acoustic balads. It's free, uplifiting music. Not an all-time classic of an album (not even Phish's best - see Rift or Billy Breathes), but perfect for a Neil Young fan and perfect for a spring day like today!

Stand out tracks?

Farmhouse


The Inlaw Josie Wales


Piper


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A little OT, but Phish do a beautiful take on Albuquerque

tom waits - rain dogs

this one's a bit hard to define because it's so varied (it has 20 odd tracks) but their either creepy, maudlin or both and there's a lot of fun to be had although it can be a difficult listen to if you're not familiar with waits.

sigur ros - takk

not really similar to anything else you've mentioned but I will big up this album whenever I get the chance. It could be described as the big instrumental tunes bbc and everyone else uses on their adverts there days but it's reaol description is an hour of unbelievably moving music which touches on the emotions like nothing else can.

teenage fanclub - grand prix

since you like you roots / folky stuff this is an album of summery pop tunes with the odd bit of melancholy from a bunch of guys from a part of glasgow where they have no right to be so talented or sunny sounding :)

idlewild - 100 broken windows

absolutely fantastic jaggy indie froma bout a decade before jaggy indie was big. every tune was potentially a single and to this day it's my favourite album from the mid 90s (yes 100bw > the bends and definitely maybe) follow it up with scottish fiction which is similar but with a more folk take on it/

And as a fan of Brian Wilson & Smile, there is simply no excuse for you not owning Spilt Milk by Jellyfish.

It's a ****ing masterpiece.

For Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, acoustic and live music fans I have the greatest live acoustic album of all time. I can't recommend it enough.

LIVE ACOUSTIC - NILS LOFGREN
http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/340/340340_1_f.jpg

I actually BEG of you to listen to the songs I'll link you to (and then the entire album). Nils' voice is so smooth and calming, imagine a male version of Katie Melua's vocals. He's a master of guitar, very underated - I mean, the guy played in Neil Young's Crazy Horse and he plays in the E Street Band for goodness sake, he's gotta be good!

There is so much passion flowing from his vocals and his fingertips. The songs have some gorgeous melodies and I'm desperate to see him do an unplugged show live one day.

Here are some of the best ones on the album:

YOU:
Ok so I couldn't find this next one one off the album on youtube, but I pulled out another live vid of it from Glasgow anyway because it was just too damn gorgeous to not show it off. Same arrangement as from the album.

BLACK BOOKS:
And this one if actually from the album again...

MAN IN THE MOON:
NOW GO BUY/DOWNLOAD/STEAL THIS ALBUM. 17 songs of pure brilliance.

Thank you.

Been meaning to check out Phish for a while. The fact that every so often play play Exile On Main Street in it's entirety is very encouraging. I'll set about on acquiring the album very soon.

Excellent shout on Rain Dogs, Jim, I adore that album. I've also heard that Sigur Ros album and thought it was very good, and I've had that Teenage Fanclub album for some time, just never got round to listening to it.

And I've listened to that album Oli recommended, great album. For fans of Nils Lofgren I suggest Neil Young's "Tonight's The Night" album, on which Nils plays many of the guitar and piano parts.

hmm Ok why not my fav albums right now prob would be:

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy, I know Axl gets a lot of heat because of how the old band broke up, even though he didnt fire one of them, BUT this is seriously a very strong album, with many different sounding songs and very strong lyrics.
Stand Out Tracks: Prostitute, Street Of Dreams, Sorry, T.W.A.T, Catcher In The Rye, Better.

Brand New - Deja Entendu, A good album thats a personal favorite of mine right now. Their A modern band, that actually rights good lyrics. I would classify them as pop/punk/rock/experimental...just to hard to classify. Definitely Worth a listen!
Stand Out Tracks: I believe you, but My tommy gun doesnt , Me Vs Maradona Vs Elvis , Gloria Fades

Brand New - Daisy, The 2009 release by these guys. Its much more experimental then the above album, and some songs have screaming. But its a very interesting listen.
Stand Out Tracks: Daisy, At The Bottom, In A Jar, Sink

There is better Phish than farmhouse, but an accessible introduction is probably the best way of getting to know them. Billy Breathes also is well, well worth an hour of your time.

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/.../billybreathes

And then start on the live stuff... It's a whole other world.

They have a tradition of playing Halloween shows in "costume" as another band.

They have done (in reverse Chronological order)

- Exile on Main St (2009)
- Velvet Underground - Loaded (1998)
- Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1996)
- The Who - Quadrophenia (1995)
- The Beatles - The White Album (1994)

And once they played DSOTM at an underattended show to give the audience who had made the journey a treat.

Honestly, a bootleg of that show is how I discovered Pink Floyd.

Currently downloading

Nils Lofgren - Acoustic Live
Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix

Will report back.